Opposition denies Zimbabwe election deal reached

The Zimbabwe opposition today refuted remarks by South African President Thabo Mbeki that it has agreed to early elections.

The Movement for Democratic Change also rebutted Mbeki’s insistence that a timetable for formal talks with President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party ZANU PF party has been worked out.

Mbeki told South African radio on Sunday the two Zimbabwe parties “generally agreed” to hold elections in March next year, three months before the deadline for the polls.

He said a programme for talks drafted in December included an agenda for formal negotiations on Zimbabwe’s deepening economic and political crisis.

Opposition secretary general Welshman Ncube said there had only been informal contact between the two parties on what he called “talks about talks.”

No substantive issues were discussed, he said.

“It cannot possibly be true that there can be any agreement between the MDC and ZANU PF to bring forward the parliamentary elections,” Ncube said.

Mbeki, who met separately with Mugabe and opposition leaders during a visit to Harare in December, said yesterday that the beginning of formal talks was only delayed by the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

In January, Mbeki also told visiting German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder that Mugabe agreed to enter formal negotiations with opposition leaders.

Ncube, who headed the opposition side in previous failed talks, said then that the opposition received no indication from Mugabe he was ready to resume unconditional negotiations.

Ncube said today the ruling party was still was delaying the resumption of formal dialogue.

“We do, nevertheless, agree with President Mbeki on the urgent need for a process of formal dialogue to take place. We share his sentiment that postponing the process is to the detriment of the people of Zimbabwe whose suffering has reached unprecedented levels,” Ncube said.

Mugabe has sent the opposition no word on his position on any new talks.